Portland Trip! 8/29 - 8/31

My mother and I arrived at the Marriott (the one on the waterfront) in Portland, OR around 5:00pm on Friday the 29th. After a quick dinner and shower, we headed over to the Keller Auditorium which was just around the corner and got there around 7:10pm, with the show starting at 7:30pm. It felt so nostalgic to be here at the auditorium again seeing POTO, since this is where I met Julie Hanson and who knew that almost 2 years later I would start running her official website?

After a short trip to the souvenir stand where I bought my souvenir brochure, $40 sterling silver earrings, and a pen we headed to our seats in the first balcony, 3 rows back, with center seats. These were the 2nd best seats I’ve had at any POTO performance; the first being in Seattle with 1st balcony, row 1 center seats.

CAST:
The Phantom of the Opera: Richard Todd Adams
Christine Daaé: Trista Moldovan
Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny: Greg Mills
Carlotta Giudicelli: Pamela Shandrow
Monsieur André: D.C. Anderson
Monsieur Firmin: Bruce Winant
Madame Giry: Nancy Hess
Ubaldo Piangi: N/A
Meg Giry: Jessi Ehrlich
Monsieur Lefévre: Michael McCoy
Joseph Buquet: Stephen Tewksbury
Passarino: Stephan Trafton

I believe the show began on time. We had a few understudies; Pamela Shandrow played Carlotta, but I don’t remember who played Ubaldo and a couple of others. I was very happy to see Trista Moldovan as the principal Christine since she was very new to the show, and I had seen Marni Rabb before. She has a strong but beautiful voice, and is very pretty! And because I know Anea likes to know which Christine’s can go en pointe, I will say that Trista, sadly, does not.

The cast was excellent. Richard Todd Adams is now my 3rd favorite Phantom, after Michael Crawford and Brad Little. He had one slip-up, but it was pretty big and really noticeable. During the part in music of the night where he sings “where you long to be!” he cracked badly on “Be!”

It seemed to me that the chandelier drops a little faster than what I remember, which was very pleasing!

The cast together was great. I also really liked Jessi Ehrlich Meg and as Nancy Hess Madame Giry.

After the show, my mother and I went to the backstage. I was really shocked that Richard came out so soon! Even before Trista did! I remember Ted Keegan and Brad Little both coming out at least an hour after everyone else. I got both of their autographs.

That's about it. I’m not too good with reviews, sorry! If anyone has any questions, I’ll try to answer them!

This was my 6th time seeing the show throughout my life. My 7th will be in Seattle on the 27th of this month ^_^

(Besides what I bought at the show, they also had a long-sleeved shirt with the big phantom mask and a rose, a short sleeved shirt with the same design, and the skinny-tee Prima Donna shirt. They had the silver mask pins, a match box, two key-chains (one with the phantom mask, and the other was the golden ticket), score book, the movie, the complete cast recording, the highlights, the monkey music box, and a phantom mask pendent made up with Swarovski crystals.)

On Saturday, I still hadn't gotten to sleep by 6:00am, so I went down to the indoor pool to relax in the hot tub and swim in the pool. When I got back to the hotel, I was finally able to fall asleep. After the both of us got up, we went to and Dan & Louis Oyster Bar and had a late lunch consisting of crab louis, shrimp cocktail, and fried oysters. After this, we went to the Portland Japanese Garden, which is said to be the most beautiful and authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan by his Excellency Matsunaga Nobuo. It was so beautiful! Click the following links for some pictures:

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After the garden, my mother and I went to Safeway to stock up on some food and drink. When we returned to the hotel, we watched "Get Smart" on the plasma screen TV and ate dinner. Following this, we went for a swim in the indoor pool and hot-tub. When we returned to the room, we watched the middle to the end of "Dead Poets Society" and a couple of other movies I forgot...one had Ralph Fiennes in it.

Sunday morning, we packed up and left by noon.

Here are pictures of our hotel room:

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I had a great time! ::

I've always wanted to go to one of those performances. I've never seen one so I can't say much about it. Except that it would be really great to go to one...and it's great that you got autographs! :)

But I can say that, that garden is beautiful! You took such excellent pictures.. I especially like #6, and the last few with the front view of the waterfall. I would love to sit peacefully by that garden and just stare at it forever. Ah, look I'm rambling just thinking about it!

Oh and that's quite a nice hotel..I gotta get outta Miami more often. :lol:

Very nice, glad that you had a good time. :amuse:

Yay! Someone responded *felt ignored*

Oh, I hope you get the chance to see it one day! And it’s very easy to get autographs. You just a have to ask someone where the stage door is and then wait for them to come out ::

Thank-you for the compliment about the photo-taking :amuse:

I'll let you know when "The Phantom of the Opera" comes to Miami :amuse:

Oh yay! It would be so great to catch one of their performances! I didn't know it was so easy to get autographs either.

Oh and no problem! I had to compliment on those pics...Just looking at them felt like I was watching the discovery channel or watching beautiful scenery on some magazine. Ah, so beautiful...one day I'll post some when I see something beautiful.

Aw, and don't feel ignored...everyone must be busy. After all, your our Queen!